How much are Unipower GTs really worth?

[drtarkir]

Came across this thread and I have one thing to say. KEEP IT. I have owned a 1967 Unipower GT for many years and have put about 40,000 miles on it. As far as I know mine is the highest mileage example around. It is a blast to drive. I used to get stopped by the police all the time. The first question was always "What the hell is that". My frame rusted out (a common problem) and I am in the final stages of a complete rebuild.

I own a 1965 Mustang GT fastback, a 1971 Lotus Elan +2S, a 1971 Jaguar XKE and the Uni is my favorite. If I have to start selling cars to pay the bills the Uni is the last to go.

I can tell you that the value on them has risen in the last several years and a restored clean one should go in the 25-30K range. They are easy cars to work on and most parts are available. You just have to know which car the parts came from. There is no formal owners club but several of us keep in touch for advice and discussion.

If you keep it and have any questions feel free to contact me.

[bigblock]

Ferg said:

bigblock said:

Festive Ferg said:

Unipower GT I would think.

Does anyone have any photos of the racing version of this. Mid engine spaceframe and wide arches, looked like a small GT40.

In the 80s my neighbour had one rotting away on his driveway, would'nt sell it to me for years then one day he swopped it with someone for a dodgy westfield type kit, tosser.

Bit like this?



I think I prefer the looks of the original, though.

The above is my contribution from an earlier discussion about the Unipower.

The car I was refering to was based in Beauly a small village outside Inverness.It was maroon in colour and appeared to be in reasonable condition although was covered in a fair bit of moss. It was also sporting a set of very chunky racing slicks.

Although it was nearly 25 years ago I still regret not being able to buy that car. Unfortunately the owner was a bit eccentric and seemed to enjoy the attention he recieved when people called at his house trying to buy one of the assorted collection of decaying cars he kept in his front garden (part of a converted railway station).

As well as the Unipower he also had a Droopsnoot Firenza rally car which he claimed was an ex works Gerry Marshal car, a Vauxhall Magnum rally car and a Citroen SM Maserati. All of them lying abandoned and neglected for many years in the open.

I just wondered if anyone on this forum became the eventual owner of that sadly neglected little Unipower racer.

[scholar96]

That one looks like Gerry Hulfords car, if this is the case it is one of the original Unipower works cars, and as such is probably priceless.

[nik 123]

If you look at the Clynder head and there are 10 retaning nuts/bolts and 1
stud sited near the themostat housing it is a cooper "s" engine. If you look at the front badge and it is like a pair of wings it is a mk1 or 2. If it is oblong it is a late mak 2 or the extermly rare MK3 (4 or 5 made.)
I wouldn't listen to anyone, either do it up, other uni owners like myself will help, or sell it on ebay starting at 25k, not a penny less irrespective of its condition. Yhe last one sold £35,500 to the japanese where I believe the last two sold also went to.
The difference between this kit car and all others is that it came as a complete factory made car, usually on the back of a lorry with the wheels seperate for you to bolt on and you still escaped paying the then "purchase tax" as it only applied to new complete factory cars and not kit cars, which it was as you had to finished it.
Mine is a MK3, 3.1 final drive, capable of over 120 mph, and great fun, as you know you lie in it and are part of the car.
If you have a sunroof watch out for great danes out for a walk. Nik

Edited by nik 123 on Monday 8th November 02:05

Edited by nik 123 on Monday 8th November 02:16

[rpb203]

scholar96 said:

The tubes some people have been refering to which run the full length of the chassis and carry water to and from the radiator are actualy aluminium.

The ones on my car certainly were steel and were welded to the chassis, before they rotted, see the attached photo.

this may have been an area that was subject to change during the production life of the car, along with the wheel arches on the engine cover/rear body work, the earlier cars appeared to be fitted with some fibreglass shields screwed to the chassis instead of wheelarches bonded to the cover.

Edited by rpb203 on Monday 8th November 08:33

[guru_1071]

nik 123 said:

The difference between this kit car and all others is that it came as a complete factory made car, usually on the back of a lorry with the wheels seperate for you to bolt on and you still escaped paying the then "purchase tax" as it only applied to new complete factory cars and not kit cars, which it was as you had to finished it.

nik

could unipowers not be bought as a 'kit' - what happened if the buyer wanted to race it?

do you know what they cost new?

as a comparison the cox - which could be bought as a choice of 2 kits - either painted or not, but both partially built cost 380 unpainted, or 340 painted in 1970

[rpb203]

The details, spec and price of 'race cars' could be got from UPD and then UWF on request.

I have the bill of sale for my car and believe from memory that it was £1150 in early '67. I will have to dig out the paperwork to confirm.

Edited by rpb203 on Monday 8th November 09:40

[guru_1071]

rpb203 said:

that it was £1150 in early '67.

ouch, thats about three times the cost of a 1275 cooper s!

[8684ch]

Reference the competition cars - from my records and according to Andrew Hedges the car in the garden at Beauly was the first 'works' car prepared by Janspeed Engineering(chassis 1266/9)and driven by Geoff Mabbs under the Janspeed banner. It was sold to Cars & Car Conversions in 1968.
The Unipower GT did come as a 'kit' i.e. rolling chassis, customer to fit engine/seats/lights. In 1967 the prices were 998cc - £950.0.0d or with 1275s engine/transmission/brakes £1145.0.0d. I have somewhere records of the prices of factory built cars.

[lowdrag]

guru_1071 said:

rpb203 said:

that it was £1150 in early '67.

ouch, thats about three times the cost of a 1275 cooper s!

Er - no. A Cooper S was £849 in 1967.

[rpb203]

Sorry got the price of my car wrong, it was £1050, for a 998cc engined car, it was delivered in June 1967, but did include a set of magnesium minilites and CR65 tyres!(not road legal for a road car?)

With reference to the Scottish car, would agree that it was infact the Janspeed/C&CC car, Brian Harvey of C&CC then, from a brief chat I had with him a number of years ago, sold it to Piers Weld-Forester and was raced across Europe and then disappeared for some time I assume after the untimely death of Weld-Forester, it then turned up in Scotland. I understand that it then passed through Chris Alford in the late 80's early 90's, advertised in T&CC and ended up in Belgium, I believe after being rebuilt was raced by Roland Petit, I'm sure that it was advertised a few years ago in one of the motorsport magazines? not sure if it sold or not?

Edited by rpb203 on Tuesday 9th November 08:28

Edited by rpb203 on Tuesday 9th November 08:34

[guru_1071]

lowdrag said:

guru_1071 said:

rpb203 said:

that it was £1150 in early '67.

ouch, thats about three times the cost of a 1275 cooper s!

Er - no. A Cooper S was £849 in 1967.

your correct, i was day dreaming about the costs of early 850 minis

[nik 123]

I was never sure if it could be brought as a total kit car due to the high price compared to kit cars and I have yet to see one. There was a unipower shell at monty's in edenbridge for a long time so that would of been a true kit car when it was sold. Every unipower I have seen has been a factory one. As to the racing ones I have only seen gerry's one which I believe was the one that raced at le mans and a racing unipower in florida. There are some "racers" in spain but I know very little about them.
I cannot really say but to convert a unipower into a racing one would not be diffcult, take out the interior trim and pasenger seat, put in a fire ex system, and a number on the side and it would certainly look like one.

[MikeyT]

Would still be nice to see a pic of this damn thing, languishing at the back of a garage, covered in dust and the like ...

[drtarkir]

Mine cost $4,450.00 plus $100.00 for the alloy wheels. This was in Maryland in November of 1967. It has a 1275S engine.

As far as the kit issue I do not know of any that were sold as kits. The construction of the car does not lend itself well to being a kit. I think this is in the same league as the picture that has been around for years with a description stating that it is the only left hand drive example built. Mine is left hand drive and I have seen 3 others. My understanding is that 13 were imported into the US and all were left hand drive.

[rpb203]

With regard to the cars being sold as kits, i have got some sales literature from 1969 stating that they were available in 'kit form' from around £350? however that would have been a huge drop in price from the original prices, again not sure if any were sold like this or whether this was in the 'dying days' of UWF and they were desparate to get some money in?

I know that Monty and Ward appeared to have a number of cars and parts for sale in the early '70s so not sure whether they managed to obtain what was left when the company folded?

For those who are interested here is a snap shot of my car, chassis 15, when I managed to get it off the original owner after an 18 year haggle!

Edited by rpb203 on Thursday 11th November 09:25

Edited by rpb203 on Thursday 11th November 09:26

[lowdrag]

Does anyone know if one of these was ever road or track tested by Motor Sport or Autocar for example? If so I've probably got the test and can post it.

[medieval]

Just caught this thread - I had not realised these cars were so valuable and if I recall correctly, watching the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010, I am sure a number were racing in the moded and standard mini section.

I think I wil have a look down at the bottom of the garden again, you never know.................

[rpb203]

Almost certainly tested by those magazines, from memory think that Autosport was around November 1967?

[VetteG]

medieval said:

Just caught this thread - I had not realised these cars were so valuable and if I recall correctly, watching the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010, I am sure a number were racing in the moded and standard mini section.

Do you not mean the Goodwood Revival?

G